Where’s the Political Leadership?
Facing growing perceptions of irrelevance and insignificance, one needs to find out the whereabouts of Pakistan’s current political leadership, whether it exists in reality or is only found on paper. Not only is its failure to assert independent authority manifest on the global stage, but its lack of influence and assertiveness in key decision-making also contributes to Pakistan’s diminishing clout as a democratic nation. The unelected institutions now dominate the country’s power structure, while the civilian government, along with the erosion of its credibility, is turning out to be a stark reminder of the hybrid regime that calls the shots at the expense of constitutional violations. At a time when the United States, China, Gulf allies, and the IMF tend to get engaged more with non-elected officials than elected ones, why have a civilian government, which is wholly dependent on external actors for both political and financial direction?
Nobel Prize or Oscars?
Nominating U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize as a genuine peacemaker is a move that calls for much introspection. What’s more troubling is the criterion that makes the current U.S. president fit for the world’s most prestigious award, accorded to organizations or individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields. Since Donald Trump has assumed the U.S. presidency, global peace is now more in tatters than ever. His transactional, ‘me-centric’ leadership approach makes him more of a CEO of a multinational business conglomerate than a responsible president of the world’s most influential country. Considering his knee-jerk presidential hunches laced with White-supremacy-fueled fascism, he often looks like running a reality show in a bid to achieve high TRPs (Television Rating Points) rather than bringing peace to the world. Therefore, Donald Trump could be more suitable for the Oscars than a Nobel Prize for Peace.
Fame at an Early Age
The murder of a teen TikTok star, Sana Yousaf, at the hands of another young TikTok user surprised many. However, the heinous act also raises a red flag for rapidly deteriorating social values. More than a case of masculine trespass, the point at issue is about parental negligence and overall social conduct that revels in glorying instant stardom earned by immature souls, who do so without doing anything meaningful or worthwhile. While it looks exciting to see younger people capturing the headlines, one needs to closely examine the mushroom growth of so-called social media celebrities who also manage to earn a sizeable amount of money with minimal effort, and later serve as role models for the rest of the young population. The vicious cycle goes on with more demerits than merits.
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